Sam Fender has given the entirety of his £25,000 honor cash to the trust for venues, which operates to preserve the Britain's grassroots live music spots.
The star was given the award on mid-October as his latest record the album was chosen as the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in appreciation of the crucial part grassroots venues fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing this success if it weren't for all the performances I played around the area, and further afield, when I was beginning," remarked Fender. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these spaces have ceased operations – roughly one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
Recently, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its attempts to support the industry, by applying a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, raising more than £100,000 on his live tour to support thirty-eight small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped locations that were confronting potential shutdown due to issues arising from floods, fire incidents and family tragedies, as well as regulatory hurdles, legal disputes and sound issues.
Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in improving facilities and sound and lighting systems that helped performers and audiences.
"The notion that revenue from concerts in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
The musician is among several artists to contribute his award prize money to worthy causes.
In Pulp earned the trophy in 1996 for their release Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would give their cash to the organization the charity.
That year, musician the artist divided her prize across multiple good causes, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"I also contributed a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," she explained to the media.
Two years ago, they donated their winnings to the youth organization that supported their band, as well as other independent music bodies.
Also winners that year the group gave their award to a MS organization after a friend was diagnosed the illness.
"Receiving the award was ample," remarked artist Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory affected the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued two local spots in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.
The Joiners in that area and The Croft in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues initiative, which is funded by the arts council and music fans who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
